Save You by Mona Kasten will likely appeal to readers who appreciate the predictable yet comforting framework of a standard YA romance. Nevertheless, its continued reliance on explicit narration over evocative portrayal ultimately renders the reading experience less sophisticated and more rudimentary than it could be. While it offers a continuation of the romantic journey, the novel's tendency towards telling rather than showing detracts from its potential for deeper emotional resonance and a more mature narrative richness.

Oh my goodness I could not put this down. I laughed, I cried, and I celebrated with ruby and James (and Lydia!) I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book and am so so glad I had the chance to read these books

Save You by Mona Kasten
-Maxton Hall, 2-

3.5/5⭐️
🚪*heavy make outs (spice)
1/3🦋 (swoon)

•My Thoughts•
The drama continues and I can’t look away. I was definitely entertained and way too engaged watching these teenagers make horrible (and sometimes good) decisions! We see some growth in this book that made me applaud and my girl, Ruby, remains the 18 year old QUEEN that she is. Some of the things so said were so wise. As anticipated, there were moments I wanted to just hug the characters and moments I wanted to shake them. This book adds a few POV and I ended up loving what they added to the story. I didn’t like the toxic relationships and use of drugs and alcohol to cope in teens (grandma hat on: WHERE ARE THE PARENTS?). I DID like the growth of some of the characters and the true friendships forming. The author knows how to do cliff hangers and if book 3 was ready, I would absolutely dive right in.

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing and Mona Kasten for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This YA romance is so addictive! There wasn’t a ton of action in the middle of the story but the beginning and end had me gripping my seat! I can’t wait to read book 3 to find out what happens after a huge cliffhanger. It was sweet to see Ruby and James reconcile after book 1 and have more of an opportunity to get to know each other. James opens up to Ruby in a way he hasn’t been able to with his friends and family. I enjoyed getting Lydia and Ember’s POV as well. I’m starting to feel really skeptical of Ember’s motives and it’s ironic to me that Lydia has become a better friend to Ruby! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC.

This book was OMG! I loved the multiple POVs, the growth and development of the characters, and their relationships.
Ruby and James have been through turmoil, there were times I loved them and hated them. I loved how the author articulated the array of emotions and dramatics typically portrayed by teenagers. Although, there were times I felt I could throttle Ruby, I could resonate with her feelings of being young and in love.
Overall, this book was fantastic.
And the translation was done beautifully! The book had flow and was so well written!

I devoured this book! I can't wait for book 3.
Book 1 was the perfect set up and book 2 really digs it's claws into you, you won't want to put it down!

4 Stars Dear Berkley, can you please approve my request for the next book in the Maxton Hall series ASAP? K, thanks, bye! After the cliffhanger of the first book in the series, Save Me, I flew through the second book, Save You, in a day and now I desperately need the third and final book after yet another cliffhanger!

Still reeling from James's betrayal, Ruby Bell is determined to start the new year without him, but that's easier said than done. He's everywhere: crossing paths in Maxton Hall, sitting across the lunch room from her, and showing up at her parents' doorstep, trying to explain what happened. But Ruby won't have it and is determined to move on. If only her heart could get the memo. James knows he messed up and regrets everything that happened. Now he's determined to win Ruby back and prove that she's the only one for him.

Save You was definitely more YA than new adult like Save Me was, but it was still an enjoyable read and I couldn't wait to see how things unfolded. I loved the additional POV chapters, especially Lydia. Lydia is a character who surprised me; I didn't like her much at first but she's probably my favorite character and I've found myself rooting for her. I'm still not sure what to think about Ember, but the addition of her POV was interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing how things unfold for her in the last book. Overall, this book only moves the plot forward slightly and most of it at the end of the book. Luckily, it seems to be setting up for a juicy ending and I can't wait to dive in the second I get a copy!

Thank you Berkley for the ARC!

3.5 but rounded to 4 ⭐️
Thank you, Berkley Romance | Penguin Random House
& NetGalley for my gifted advanced book copy 💕

I just devoured both “Save Me” and “Save You” in just two days. I haven’t watched the series yet, but I’m a glutton for punishment and can’t resist reliving the heartbreak and betrayal!

“Save You” delves right into where “Save Me” left us.
Mona Kasten also added additional POVs in this book.
I did enjoy reading Lydia’s POV but didn’t really care for Ember.
Ember’s chapters were filled with chapters and didn’t contribute any substance to the story.

Lydia, however, I just loved. Her character was a breath of fresh air, and my heart breaks for her.

Now, Ruby & James.
Is James an idiot? Yes.
Did he grovel enough? No.
Did Ruby forgive him too quickly? Yes.
Did I hate it? No.

Can we just talk about Mortimer’s dinner room scene? 😭 I ALMOST felt bad for him. I really hope we see something grow from that special moment between him and James.

I wasn’t much of a fan of this book. It was a typical filler middle book. Not much happened, which was a tad annoying, but that’s what happens sometimes with filler books. But I did enjoy the growth of James. He still had his moments, but that is expected from someone with his upbringing. It would be unrealistic for him to change and be perfect overnight, so I did appreciate Mona making him a flawed human that is desperately trying.

I didn’t appreciate Ruby’s mother at the end!! WTF was that?! I literally gasped at her reaction.

And I certainly didn’t appreciate the plot twist and cliffhanger! I need “Save Us” ASAP!

First off, watch out for the cliffhanger, because it’s a doozy.

Save You picks up almost immediately where Save Me left off, so there’s absolutely no question that Save Me is required reading. I read the two books back to back and I honestly felt like that was a fantastic way to experience the story thus far; the fact that I have to wait until November 2025 (or sooner if the folks at Berkley Romance are kind) to find out the conclusion of this story is driving me nuts because I would much rather have read all three books one after another so I never had to leave Maxton Hall once I entered it.

We last saw James in a pool making some bad choices while Ruby saw him making those bad choices. Save You picks up a couple of weeks later, with James still making a massive amount of bad choices out of grief, shame, and anger. Meanwhile, Ruby has become one with her bed. Their respective loved ones are worried and trying to figure out how to get them out of the cycles they’re in, because life still needs to be lived.

What I liked best about Save You was getting to know the supporting characters of Maxton Hall: Ember and Lydia both have POV chapters in this book that hint at more complicated interpersonal dynamics and relationships in the next book and add dimension to both characters. Lydia’s chapters are some of the best-written in the whole book and really add propulsion to the plot.

The main romance between James and Ruby is very much a one step forward, two steps back process, and it got rather frustrating and repetitive. The groveling simply wasn’t groveling enough for me. But James’ grieving hurt my heart so much. 3⭐️


I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

This was like 90% teenage angst and maybe 10% plot but I was 100% here for it. I need book 3 right now but I can’t read German so I have to wait 😭 I love Ruby and James. He could’ve done a bit more groveling but I still loved the tension between him and Ruby for most of the book. I absolutely loved having Lydia’s POV. Im really hoping to get to know more about Ember in the 3rd book.

As with Save Me, and as with the Maxton Hall show, I devoured Save You.

This book dances with the edge of melodrama, if not firmly crossing the line. The writing is acceptable and not great. And yet I found myself so invested. I want nothing more than Ruby and James and Lydia to be happy. This entry also expanded the number of POVs we get and widened the world; an exciting development.

It’s a fitting sequel, highly recommended for anyone who enjoyed the first book. I am eagerly anticipating book 3.

The way I just binged that one sitting. And now I’m pouting because I really don’t want to have to wait. Feels a little unfair really.

Save You started right where Save Me left off, and the story just continued so naturally. And adding more POV’s was amazing, and I loved the characters we got to see deeper into.

The way that I am just sitting here rooting for James and Ruby. I just need them to be end game ya know

In Save You, Ruby has been betrayed by James, and she’s hurting bad. And I’ve never wanted to just throat punch an MMC so badly before. But can Ruby forgive him? Or is James beyond able to redeem himself.


Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for a digital review copy.

If you favor stories like the After series by Anna Todd, Magnolia Park, Gilmore Girls (but with more DRAMA), or all-things Dramione fanfiction, Maxton Hall is for YOU. Like many others, I first binged the Prime Video series with the English dub where I learned it was based on a German trilogy that hadn't yet been translated.

After having finished Save Me a few days ago, I was happy to report that the adaptation stayed pretty faithful to the source material and that it really made Ruby, James, Lydia, Graham, Lin, and Ember come to life. I loved the settings of Maxton Hall and Oxford. In Save Me, there were some odd turns of phrase in the translation that took me out, but i'm happy to report that Save You had a more seamless experience on that front.

I'm OBSESSED with Ruby and James's story and can't wait for the final book to come out! (And of course for November when season two releases!)

So that cliffhanger was diabolical!!!! now need book 3 lol!

This series is such a guilty pleasure, found it through the prime show and scoured for an english translation before there was one.

Anyways I was so glad to get more POV’s, especially from Lydia and Ember who are amazing. I felt the grovel James had to do was realistic and portrayals of mourning and just teens trying to figure stuff out was good too. It’s a quick read and you’re immediately drawn into the story and recommend it 100%

This is an entertaining and quick read. It’s absolutely essential to read this series in order. I’m excited for the next installment as I’ve come to care about the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book!

That ending lowkey pissed me off because seriously??? I could not believe Ruby's mom there is no way that all happened??? Is she dumb??? Like hello???

I'm really disappointed in this book honestly. At first I was liking it but then overtime it just got tiring. Ruby and James were quite literally miserable for 65% of the book and I really just got tired of the book being so depressing. I can handle sad/depressing books usually but this was also just really frustrating so that didn't help much. They did have some very sweet moments towards the end which I appreciate but also the last chapter has me just like... great, again...

Also I was initially excited for Lydia and Ember's chapters because I thought they would be interesting but NO omg especially for Ember's chapters??? Big no for me, she actually annoyed me so much??? And you're telling me there's going to be a romance between Ember and WREN??? HELL NO. Wren that bastard??? And then Lydia's chapters also I just lost interest in and it actually made me realize that I hate the accidental pregnancy plot line (which I believe this was my first time encountering in a book?? unless I'm forgetting), but ESPECIALLY because it's with a teacher💀 Yeah, I was very uncomfortable! (And don't ask me how but student-teacher/mentor romance feels so weird to me in a non-fantasy setting)

And once again, I hate James's friends. So much. Though when I say James's friends, I'm thinking about Cyril (god I want to punch him) and Wren (never forgetting how he drugged Ruby). Alistair and Kesh are cool, though to be fair we barely see them here but also they've done nothing wrong so far in this series sooo. I was hoping James's would find better friends but alas. To be honest, it's not like I have any interest in continuing this series!

Ohhh but that ending. I really can't believe how stupid that all was. I loved book one and especially Ruby and James so much but this was not it. Very disappointed in this sequel.


Thank you Berkley for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

4.5
This book definitely made up for the ending of the first! We are back with the crew, James, and Ruby. Still told him the first person. This book is opened up to more POV’s. We have Lydia, Ember, James and Ruby. I really liked how this one played out. I liked that we found out exactly what happened after Ruby left at the end of book one. I liked the progression of James and Ruby’s relationship in this book and the friendship of Lydia and Ruby.
I will say this one redeemed the ending of book one for me immensely. I was not a fan of the ending of book one but I’m glad I continued on. It has made me super excited to watch the show and super excited for the third book because now I need to know what happens in Save Us!
Thank you to Berkley for the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

1.5/5

Oh. This was bad. As someone who loved Save Me , this was one of the most disappointing sequels I have ever read. This was just….not a romance. It had no humour. Very few fun scenes.
Most of this book was just Ruby and James being depressed. I didn’t want to read that. Ruby was pissing me off by halfway through because I felt she just didn’t give James a chance to TALK.
James was still my mannnnn <3
Also fuck Lydia and ember’s POVs. I don’t care about them!!!!!!! I am reading this for Ruby and James!!! Why are we getting their points of view!
I don’t like graham and don’t like teenage pregnancy storylines so I could not stand Lydia’s chapters (probably preference). She just…did nothing.
Ember? Girl don’t even with me. Mona kasten what are you doing !! Her and WREN?? Ember was annoying as HELL and I couldn’t stand her and I didn’t care at ALL.
Fuck wren and Cyril! Worst friends ever probably!
The ending was ludicrous. Flat out NO. Ruby’s mom was an idiot, everyone was acting stupid as hell, and it was was over the top drama. I want to read a romance. Not whatever this book was.
Unfortunately I’m not reading the finale and will pretend Save Me was a standalone!

Save You starts immediately after Save Me. James' life is in turmoil, some of his own making and some very much not. Ruby tries to decide what to do. There are 2 additional POVs in this book (up from 2 to 4). So we get more information on side characters and how their decisions can impact James and Ruby. The ending was a shocker and I can't wait to read book 3!

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for an eARC of this book for an honest review!

AHHHH THESE BOOKS MAKE ME FEEL SO INSANE WITH THE CLIFFIES

i this this book UP, im so glad that i reread save me over the weekend in preparation to start this one as it made everything feel fresh and like an open wound again and MANNNN the angst did not disappoint!!! the push and pull between ruby & james through out the first half of the book was *chefs kiss*. i was screaming at my kindle all day long while i binge read bc i just wanted them to kiss and make up but also how could you james beaufort!?!?!?!?! i absolutely LOVED the way james & ruby came back together finally, i loved the groveling and his begging. the way he finally was so adamant about not wanting to push her into making a decision she didnt actually want even if it hurt him to do it and her being like stfu and kiss me you idiot OH HOW I LOVED IT

i also really adored ruby & lydias friendship growing through out this book, i think ruby is the perfect friend that lydia needs right now and vice versa 🥹. the NYE scene with all of the girls hanging out to help ruby get out of bed was really sweet <3

the ending of this book once again has me SO on edge (thank the berkley gods i have save us sitting in my kindle ready to go). i am so intrigued to figure out whose plan it was to do what happened, how it was executed & if her sister played a part knowingly or unknowingly??

i absolutely LIVE for the drama of these books and i cannot wait to start the next, however i am a bit sad as that’ll mean theres no more but like.. 😫